I voted for the Goldrush update. For one, it gave us payload, so that's always nice. Also, all the medic weapons help the medic and are actually good weapons, unlike the poor quality weapons that were churned out in later updates (Sandwich, Sandman, Bonk, Dead Ringer).

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i don't care about the unlockables nor the achievments, it was just excelent to follow the updates day by day with all the tips (uncloaking spy behinf the sniper) and the excitement in steam's tf2 forums

The Heavy update because of Badwater Basin. Of the "new" maps, this is definitely the best (however bland it looks). It's just so unbelievably fun, and its complete lack of chokepoints is something you don't see often.

Heh why is the medic update called the goldrush update. The medic one has to be by far and away the best. It provided two upgrades (yes not sidegrades but at least one crucial upgrade in the blutsauger) for a much maligned class (and the only one i play.)

It also provided us with the best sidegrade out to date in the kritzkrieg. I don't know if all weapons can be similarly sidegraded, but this one i believe to be an ideal example.

I won't consider any update "good" until they just outright make all new class options available to everyone immediately. So I'm still waiting for a good class update.

This is not to say anything about maps, because those are relatively independent of class changes. Also, if there's any single thing that's made me happy so far not tied to new weapons, it'd be the addition of the airblast to the flamethrower. I'd say the buff to engy buildables, but that didn't happen in any of the major class updates.

Little complaints about the viability of each unlockable, relatively balanced in the beginning.

Unlockables weren't STUPID. *cough* Bonk *cough*

Massive improvement in achievements compared to the Medic one.

Of course, Valve as a whole has improved with the presentation and implementation of these updates, but I'd say that they really gave it their all when doing the Pyro update and trying to avoid the woes that came with the Medic one.

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The pyro update was the most needed update and the best done. It turned the most UP class into one that was viable and interesting to play. Kudos to valve.

But there was the +50 health on the BB....
How that got through playtesting I don't know.

Now all that needs to happen is for the solider to have a worse close range game and for the scout's scattergun to actually scatter at mid range and the pyro will be seen in comp play on a regular basis.

anyhow, goldrush update, started it all, had the best new weapons (KK vs uber IS a tricky decision and the other two were excelent upgrades to a class in need) It also paved the way for the others. Sure it was delayed by something like 4 months, so it had that disasterous achievement method, but it was by far the most exciting.